Were You Given The Wrong God Pt.2 | Identity Theft Part. 5 | The Blueprint with Dr. Dharius Daniels

What's up everybody? Welcome to the blueprint Bible study. Jesus says in John 10:10, "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I've come that you might have life and have that more abundantly." Not necessarily or just abundance in life, but abundance of life. Jesus didn't just come to save lost lives.

He came to save the life that was lost. And we believe the Bible is the blueprint to that best life. And uh we're excited about uh you being here today, man. And uh I'm excited to have the co-pilot with me, the Reverend Dr. Marcus Durell Dudley from the great metropolitan city of Coffeeville, Mississippi.

Population nine. >> It's about 600, pastor. about there's about 600 of us >> population 13 >> be a stand up >> they it's only six of them guys that's in the chat but we're grateful to be here today and certainly grateful to have you with us and uh I just want to thank our community man for their faithfulness and consistency we've had a couple of weeks away as we've walked through the Easter season >> and in addition to that um we've uh walked through just a week of recovery our team takes a Sabbath week the week after Easter.

Uh we believe that's biblical in terms of work, rest, rhythms. And so we're grateful to be back though and sharing God's word with you. And uh we're excited to continue a conversation we're having from the book of Ephesians um on this series. This series is called identity theft.

And uh you know, typically we start our time in prayer and we pray regularly for your needs. And so a Lord thirst coming up right now um so that you can send prayer requests in. We actually have a blueprint prayer team who prays weekly over your requests and then they come together monthly uh corporately uh to bombard heaven on your behalf.

Uh but today I want us to keep in prayer. We're going to pray for Pastor Dudley and his family. His family is going through an unusual season of successive loss and compounded grief. Um he got word Sunday as he was preparing for worship that uh his mom's youngest sibling had passed.

And that is how many for your mom in what period of time? >> In less than almost less than over two years, less than two years. Our third sibling. >> Third sibling. And um some of you have experienced sibling loss. And it is a unique kind of loss depending on here's what I've learned, pastor. that kind of loss.

Let's take a moment to minister to grief here because somebody else I'm just sensing this might be dealing with grief because depending on the generation like there are certain generation there are certain generations that has certain parenting dynamics right >> and so it could be some of it could be the type of work that that generation did >> took them out of the home differently >> or if it was very laborious it left them with less energy when they got home.

So even when they were present, they may not have been as engaged. Not because they were unloving, they were absolutely exhausted. So I I want you to think about that. I want you to think about someone like my father who's who's very engaged man. Uh but who worked all day every day in especially in the summer in the heat of Mississippi in a welding plant in Durat, Mississippi with no air. >> He's coming home and pastoring exhausted.

And so what that means is sometimes the bond with siblings is sometimes emotionally more intimate than the bond with parents. >> And so the loss then that a person experiences with a sibling can be something that's um very very very unique. And so you actually on Sunday Yeah. >> have to do that funeral yourself >> and minister to your family.

So we just want to pray. Can we pray for him? We just want to pray God's strength. um for him that God would would make him supernaturally sagacious. The kind of wisdom you need >> to navigate something like this is not wisdom you can read. God's got God's got to give you what to say um and uh give you the the presence the presence and the profoundity to to to minister to to your family who's experiencing grief.

So come on, let's just agree right now. Father, we just thank you that you are the God that comforts us in loss. We we we rest in the revelation that you are shy. You are God who is with us. And we just pray now that you would be with Dr.

Dudley and his family. God, we lift up his mother to you. Jesus, be a fence. Be a fence from distress and depression and despair. Even as she weeps, we pray over her. the words of the Apostle Paul to believers in Thessalonica. She will weep. She will not weep as others who have no hope.

I thank you for this. So Lord, Lord, gird up this family. Supernaturally strengthen them as they walk through this season of grief. And we pray for Dr. Dudley. Would you give him the words to say? Would you give him the anointing to say it effectively? And would you be greatly glorified through the work that he does on your behalf as he ministers to his family, your sons and daughters on this Sunday.

Give him strength. We commit them to you in Jesus name. >> Amen. >> Amen. >> Amen. Amen. Amen. Man, thank you guys for allowing some space for that. Uh I think it's important to minister to the ministers. >> We we we've got to make sure that that we do that. and we're incredibly excited about all that God is uh all that God's doing.

Hey, real quick, for those of you who might find interest in this, I want you to put April 28th on your calendar. April 28th, 700 p.m., I want to invite you to join my wife and I for an online event we're hosting, one night only, um called the art of elevation.

Here's what I've learned, Dudley. There are three keys to changing a person's life. And I I really believe it's important for us to understand this that you don't change your life by changing your life. You change your life by changing things that change your life. >> And there are three catalysts that change everything. >> Yeah. >> The spiritual key, the emotional key, and the relational key. >> That's it. >> Those three keys unlock the doors to the physical, the professional, the financial.

If you don't have the foundation of those three things, does that make sense? Because your spiritual and emotional and relational health is actually what determines your wealth. Does that make sense? So anyway, we're doing this online event. It's called the art of elevation. And in the three areas that that we just believe that are on our heart for people, we want to help them grow emotional wealth.

Um many people are settling for emotional health. But when you're a believer, you can experience emotional wealth. And there's a difference. We want to help them grow emotional wealth, build relational health. And when we say relational health, not just maritaly, but it means we need to operate with relational intelligence.

And in doing so, we want to help people kind of upgrade their life. And so, it's absolutely free event. Ways to register on the screen. Man, we look forward to having you a part of it. Well, we're in the book of Ephesians, chapter number one. I'm going to read verse 15 through 17 just to kind of remind you guys where we are um here.

And it says, "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better."

And this is part what three of two three one of them of this part two of this uh well not part two of the series but part two of this lesson called what god were you given? What god were you given? All right. So family this passage here deadly doc reveals one of the apostle Paul's most powerful prayers. >> These two verses reveal one of the apostle Paul's most powerful prayers.

And I say this because what he this prayer doc is not a prayer of release. >> It's a prayer of revelation. That's >> right. >> So it's not a prayer for God to distribute something. >> It's a prayer for God to disclose something. >> It's a prayer for God to show the Ephesians God. >> This this this is the this is the essence of what Paul's articulating in the prayer.

TZ, did you hear what I just said? Yes, sir. >> Yeah. It is a prayer for God to show the Ephesians God. Here's what he says. >> For since I heard about your faith in the in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

And he says,"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation for this reason, >> so that you may know him better." They're already saved, >> but he's praying for their sight. >> That's right. >> Because he knows their spiritual experience is going to be impacted by their spiritual awareness.

That your experience with God will never be right if your awareness of God is wrong. The here's the way we say it. The God you see is actually the God you get. >> Pastor, that's that's so powerful. You can never see or experience God right if we keep seeing him wrong. >> That's right. >> And uh and and for many of us, it's not an sometimes it's not an inaccurate view of God.

It's just an incomplete. >> Come on. >> So God So the fullness of God, the revelation of who God is. Yes. >> And and and I think some of us, some of the what we have to caution ourselves is not to get stuck on the version of what God was. that we miss who God is. >> Yes.

Yeah. Uh-huh. >> Yeah. >> Imprisoned by previous revelation. >> That's right. >> Yeah. >> That's right. Incarceration. Like spiritual >> incarceration. Yes, sir. >> As a result as a result of of previous revelation. >> That's right. >> Cuz here here's what we teach here. >> Here's what we believe at the blueprint.

Here's what we teach. Here's what we believe. And um >> we standing on it. Okay. Yeah. We standing on you disagree, we standing on it. Standing on it. That is this. We believe in progressive sanctification >> and we believe the Bible teaches progressive sanctification. That's >> right. >> And progressive revelation. >> That's what we believe. >> Meaning, watch this as it relates to your sanctification journey.

Mhm. >> that you will have spurts of supernatural acceleration, but all of your spiritual formation will not be supernatural acceleration. >> Some stuff you going to have to put in time >> for that stuff to come out of you. >> That's right. >> It's progressive. >> Progressive. >> It does that make sense?

Yes, sir. >> It's some stuff you can't fix because you don't even see it needs to be fixed yet. Does that make sense? Yes, sir. So, after you and we believe in God. We believe in the minister, the the liberating work of the Holy Spirit. >> He whom the son is set free is free indeed.

We believe that there's these instances where God um overrides the the influence of certain behaviors and habits. Yeah. But that that represents moments in your spiritual formation, not the totality of your spiritual formation. There is some stuff that has to be progressively exposed first and then addressed. >> That's right. >> There are things about me that I can't see that at some point God's got to show me. >> So, progressive sanctification, but also progressive revelation that God is so much God that he cannot reveal all that he is to us at one time.

So over the course of time, God consistently reintroduces himself to us. >> Does that make sense? Yes, sir. >> Yeah. So, so I I think I think it's really important for us to wrap our head around this. And this is the essence of what Paul's praying for. They're saved. >> So, they have some revelation of who God is.

They have some experience >> with who God is. But Paul prays this prayer because he says,"I want I want you to consistently experience revelation of who God is because the revelation is going to produce a revolution in your own life. >> In your own life." And so what we what we've argued this is that for many of us, the God we have is a is a God we've been given.

Okay. >> And uh and we've spent a few weeks talking about the different types of God we've been given. >> Um we talked about the tyrant God. >> We talked about the transactional God, >> tolerating God, >> and the tolerating God. >> Today, we're going to talk about a few more starting with the therapeutic God. >> Yes, sir. >> Watch this.

Now, these are all different angles on who people claim is the God of the Bible. >> So, the therapeutic God is the God whose primary job is to make you feel better. But if you pull the religious language, it sounds admirable. >> Yeah. >> But if you really address the language, what you're actually describing is something called hedonism.

Now when most people think of hedonism they think of they think of something else not realizing that hedenism is actually a philosophy. It's not an event. You know what I mean? It's not just like a ratchet event. It's it's actually it's it's an ancient philosophy uh that says the highest goal of the human existence should be the maximization of pleasure >> and the minimization of pain.

So that that is that's that's the philosophy behind hedenism. And the problem with this view is that the entirety of our faith rests on the revelation of a suffering savior and a God who actually uses suffering to sanctify us. >> So we actually become better through things that don't feel good. >> That's right.

That's right. And I think one of the things we have to remember too is is is like that the promises and the blessings of God are not pain and problem free. >> That's it. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And and this speaks to this whole suffering savior. And if we look at the gospel uh and I think we talk about this a lot.

The gospel is not a gospel of of avoidance. >> That's right. >> It is a gospel of overcoming. >> Yes. That's right. >> And just because we serve the Lord don't necessarily mean that he will allow us to uh avoid some suffering, some pain. >> That's right. But he allows us and he uh uh uh makes us go through it in order to do something.

This is what the psalmist say. It was good. >> Is that what he said? >> That I was afflicted that >> that I may learn your your ways or your statute. >> That's it. >> That I may learn of you. >> That's it. >> There were some things I wouldn't have learned if you would allow me to go through a season of hurt and pain. >> Come on.

Come on now. Now watch this. The Bible says >> even Jesus, >> am I in the book already? He know where I'm going. I'm in the book. I'm in here now. >> You're in the book. >> I'm in here. >> Learned obedience through what? >> The things he suffered. >> The things he suffered. >> That's right.

That's right. >> Wait a minute. >> Uhhuh. >> So, if a perfect person >> had to experience pain, >> Wow. in order for him to be ushered into another degree and a dimension of obedience. Then what would make us assume as imperfect people that we won't have to experience inconvenience?

Watch this now. >> The writer of Hebrews even says Hebrews 12:11, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but it's painful." >> But watch what it says. Later on, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace. Watch this, guys. For those who have been trained >> by it. >> Listen to me. >> Listen to me.

Listen to me. God uses pain >> to train. >> Wow. >> I didn't say he even causes all the pain, >> right? But he will use >> the pain >> to train. >> Did you hear what I said? >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. >> And and and and this this this is important.

Now, the I I want to frame this the right way because the language you use to describe God's redemptive work >> through pain and suffering. I think the language you use really I think impacts whether or not pain is something that is used to propel people forward >> or paralyze and keep them stuck >> because let's just take something we prayed for you earlier right and we talked about loss >> the language we use around loss and pain becomes very important because the language you use is is like it is shaping or revealing a theology >> and we got to make sure that the language we're using is shaping the right theology and revealing the right theology because remember now we didn't say who caused the loss. >> So your family's gone through >> a series of successive loss. >> We didn't say who caused it cuz watch this.

We don't know. >> We don't. That's good. We don't know. >> We don't know. And this is something. This is something. This is something that um that Christians have to understand. I think sometimes Christians confuse having an explanation with being effective in offering hope. >> And in the Bible, I can show you, let's just take something like um storms. >> Let's use storms as a metaphor.

I can show you where Jonah goes through a storm because he disobeyed God. >> Is that right? >> Then I can show you that the disciples went through a storm because they obeyed. >> Same storm. >> Different source. >> That's right. You understand? Here's what we know. God used them both.

So, so, so instead of focusing on cause, >> we need to focus on usage >> and how God wants to use the pain to train. >> So, so you won't hear me say something like God took your mother >> because we know death as we understand it now is a consequence of living in a fallen world.

Does that make sense? where creation is not flourishing the momentarily the way God intended which is why all of creation is groaning. Paul says for the manifestation of the sons of God. So I won't say things like God took your mother >> that God inflicted >> your mother your father with some illness >> that is eating away at him.

It is a consequence of a fallen world that is not operating the way that God intended. But it leads us to a glorious hope of another one. Which is why I don't know how you can have a healthy theology of suffering if you don't have a biblical view of eternity.

Hallelujah. So, it makes it not easy, but easier to walk through suffering in this life when I know I got another one. >> Don't mess with me now. >> Yes, sir. >> Y'all about to make me go Baptist tonight. Go ahead. Go ahead. >> Huh? Go ahead. Go ahead. >> There's a land. >> Uhhuh. >> Job says, >> Uhhuh. >> where the wicked >> cease from troubling >> and the weary. >> Don't mess with me, preacher. >> Don't mess with me, preacher. >> Yes, Lord. >> Huh?

Yes. >> Let not your heart be trouble. >> All right, let me I'm sorry. I'm sorry. >> Believe in God, believe ye also in me. In my father's house, >> many mansions. If it were not so, >> I would not have told you. >> I would not have told you.

I go >> to prepare a place for you that where I am, >> ye may be also. >> Come on here. >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. And and I think pastor this this is good because I think understanding you know getting this understanding of of the the therapeutic God.

This is what happens when you have a therapeutic view of God. You are you have a pained pain form theology. >> And so you have a trauma theology. >> Your theology is informed by trauma. Because what this says is when you have a therapeutic God, I shouldn't I should not have had to go through this. and if he loved me, he would not have let me go through this. >> But what but what Lazarus shows us in uh in in the text is it says that we know from the text that Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters >> cuz he wept. >> Because he wept.

That's right. >> But the Bible said that when he heard that Lazarus was sick rather than going immediately. That's right. >> He stayed where he was two more days. That's right. >> Which seems to be inconsistent with love. >> That's right. >> Right. Like our mindset Jesus loved and why he didn't go immediately. >> That's right.

But then sometime God has to love us enough to leave us in what is going to kill us. >> He loved him enough to let him die. >> And sometime God loves us enough to go through the pain and the suffering >> that he's going to he's going to use on the other side to train us. >> It feels like he's killing you sometimes when he's using you. >> Wow.

Did you hear what I just said? >> Come on. I heard what you said, pastor. >> Sometimes, >> cuz there are two types of usage. >> There's when God uses your gifts. >> Mhm. >> Which is the usage we prefer. So when we say, "God, use me." >> Mhm. >> What we really mean, >> use my gifts.

Leave me alone. He's use my gift. >> Use my gift. Got it. >> Yeah. But there there's another aspect of divine usage and it's not just gift usage, >> it's life usage. >> That's right. Come on. >> And life usage sometimes leaves you in a tomb >> Mhm. for four days >> and an audience gathers >> so that the same people that watch you go in >> are the same people around >> that's going to watch you >> to watch you come out >> as a demonstration >> of God's ability >> to perform resurrection >> that's right >> cuz listen to what Jesus says about that same >> uh uh uh situation with Lazarus >> this sickness what did he say is not under the death that's what he said but so that the son of man might be glorified.

I'mma get glory from >> not just through the usage of your gift. >> Mhm. >> Lazarus. I'mma get glory through the usage of your life. >> So, I am going to allow an audience to form around your adversity. I'm going to make people aware >> of your adversity, and they're going to see you go in the tomb.

And then the same people that saw you go in are going to be the same people that I let see let let see you come out for the purpose >> of them not thinking differently about you. >> But so they think differently about me. >> Wow. >> God you and I don't know I don't know who feels like you experiencing a setback right now.

I don't >> but but but what if this setback is actually a set up >> for God to reveal an aspect of himself >> to the audience that is observing you go through what you went through >> and come out of what you're getting ready to come out of. >> Yeah.

God reserves to use whatever he own. >> Wow. And he don't just own your gifts. >> He owned your life. >> That's right. >> He owned your timetable. >> That's right. >> See, that miracle >> was also a miracle, right? That was time sensitive. >> So we thought, >> cuz what did Mary I think Martha said it first, >> you would have been here. >> Don't mess with me, preacher.

See, you know your book. >> I read the book. >> Huh? >> If you would have been here, Lord, >> if you know the If you would have been here, >> That's right. >> my brother wouldn't have died. >> That's right. She felt like it was time. Even when they sent word, they said, "Come, the one you lovest is sick." >> Is sick. >> Is sick time since and and and and there are times where we have preferences and desires >> as it relates to the timetable >> that God does a thing.

And God's like, there are some things I'mma do when culture would assume it's too late. That's right. >> It's See, see, see, watch this. What's the song say? Sooner or later. >> We seen the later. >> That's right. >> But we want the sooner. >> Mhm. >> And I'm telling somebody, it might happen later. >> It might >> And God's going to get glory out of the later. >> Pastor, that that that is so loaded. two things immediately, you know, speaks to me is one is when you say yes to God, you got to be willing to be used as a teaching tool. >> So basically, God used Lazarus >> for somebody else. >> That's right. >> So God say, "Hey, I'm going to let you go in the tomb." >> Yes. >> For somebody else to see you come out.

That's right. >> And then it is the revelation, this progressive revelation of God. >> Like Mary, we we we know that Jesus every time he came through Bethany, he spent time. So there was intimate knowledge. They knew him. >> Yeah. >> But but notice even after all that time they spent with Jesus, Jesus still had to reveal himself in a deeper way to them. >> That's right. >> She said, "If you would have been here and Jesus said, it doesn't matter.

When I get here is the right time." So I got to give you a deeper revelation. >> Come on, Doc. Yes, sir. >> Of who I am. It's a progressive revelation. And so you can't get stuck on the revelation of who you thought Jesus was. >> Yes. >> Right.

You got to be open to who Jesus can be. Like, no, I got to give you a deeper revelation. You thought you knew me, but you didn't know me is what you thought cuz cuz she said even now >> That's right. >> She That's what she said. Even you can raise him up.

That's right. >> But but watch. So she had a revelation that he could perform resurrections. >> He gave her res a revelation. He was one. >> Is that what he said? >> That's what he did. >> I want to know Ted, come back in the book. Yes. >> Somebody give TZ his Bible and and tell in the turn it to John 11 and see if I'm in the book. >> You're in the book. >> Is that what he says? >> Yes.

Yes. >> I am the resurrection and the >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He says resurrection isn't restricted to a certain time frame. >> Right. >> Whenever. >> Come on. >> I show up. >> Whatever. >> Now, I want somebody right now because we do believe we do believe. We do believe in prophetic prompings.

I want somebody to put in the chat, "It's my time. >> It's my time. >> It's my time." >> Whenever he show up, he said, "I'm the resurrection." >> This is important because when we use the word therapeutic God, we don't mean that God isn't therapeutic. We actually feel like that that that's an aspect of God.

I know the language is tricky, but that's an aspect of God we need to talk more about, right? Because >> because when we talk about the comprehensive implications of uh God's work in our life that that that the work is going to extend to our soul. >> And so God's quote unquote not a therapist, but his work can be therapeutic.

Like he's a bomb in Gilead. There's a healing of the soul. So when we say therapeutic God, we're not diminishing the therapeutic nature of God's ministry. What we are pointing out is how some people feel like God's primary mission should be to cater to their feelings. >> That's it.

That that that that God's obsession is their feelings. And what we're arguing is God's obsession >> is not your feelings. Trust me, >> it is your faith. >> It's your formation. Like it's your focus. Like it is it is not your feelings. As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that many of us who say we love Jesus so much are not and are not emotionally mature enough to have handled the intimate relationship that the disciples had with Jesus in bodily form. >> You wouldn't have been able to handle it. >> If if I say get thee behind me, Satan, >> uh whoever I say that to leave, >> they gone. >> They gone. >> They gone.

Doc, they gone. >> They gone. >> They gone. I like I'm I'm teach I'm teaching Sunday on I think it's Matthew 17 and Jesus literally I know how many members stay after you say this. You unbelieving and perverse generation. How long shall I stay with you? And how long do I have to put up with you? >> They get present.

They they not even putting up the Baptist finger when they walk out. They're right. So the priority isn't the feelings. >> That's good. >> The priority is the formation. >> Does that make sense? And so this is what we're saying because when people have this therapeutic God, our feelings become the primary measuring tool of his faithfulness.

So if he's hurting our feelings, then he's seen as unfaithful. Watch this. This means every difficult season doesn't just hurt you emotionally, it destabilizes you spiritually. Cuz a God you was handed wasn't a God that's big enough to be trusted in dark times. >> He only safe when he makes sense.

So that God is an unsafe God. And that's that's the God we were given. And I'm not going to bother this cuz most most people don't get this god in church. They get this god from culture. This is this is this is first ways construction of God. Well, my god wouldn't do that.

Well, if you made a god, I guess that god wouldn't. But the God that made you. Are y'all following me? All right. So, so there's a therapeutic. So, some of us are given a therapeutic God. All right. We're not going to finish the day either, Doc. This is hopefully by 2027, we'll uh >> we'll get we'll we'll finish it.

There's there's another one. And this is the tribal god. >> Yeah. We're probably going to end up stopping here, doc. Uh the tribal god. Now, here it is. This is the God, watch this. This is the God where we don't belong to him, he belongs to us. This is the God who belongs to your group. >> You got me? >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah.

This is the God who is reduced to your preferences. He's agitated by your agitations. He is affiliated who you are with who you are affiliated with and he is in opposition to who you are in opposition to. This God is not the God of all creation. This is the God of your corner >> and anybody outside your corner >> is not in good graces with this God. >> Now the problem with this picture of God is that the God of scripture, watch this, is on his own side. >> I'm trying not to run on that dot.

He's not on your side. He's not on my side. >> He on He's on his side. >> Let's go back to the book. >> Can we go back to the book, Tess? >> Pastor, I feel them getting tight online. >> They're getting tight now. Getting tight. >> I feel them online.

They getting tight, pastor. >> They getting tight. I >> I think it's in Joshua. >> Yes, sir. >> Right. >> They're prepared. Uh they're getting ready to engage in battle. >> Right. And uh I don't know if it's Joshua. It's escaping me right now. But there an angel, right, appears and and I think Joshua says, "Are you for us?" >> That's what he said. >> Is that what he says? >> That's the book. >> You for us.

Are you for them? >> And this man said to Joshua, "Neither >> after you the book, >> I'm the captain of the army of the Lord of Hosts." >> That's right. That's right. He literally says, "I'm not on your side. I'm on God's side. The only reason I'm here fighting for you is because you happen to be on the right side in this situation." >> In this situation. >> Wow. >> Wow. >> Yeah.

I'm not always on your side. >> I'm on your side when you write. >> He say I'm on God's side. And when you don't understand that, right, God's always on your side, not on the side of the person that you broke up with. God's always on your side, not on the side of the person that you fell out with.

God's always on your Come on. >> But sometimes God's like, "No, no, no, no, no. On this issue, I'm on this side, >> but on this issue, you on the wrong side. >> They was wrong, and you were wrong, so I'm on your side here, but I'm on that >> because I'm on my side." >> That's right. it it's it's the tribal God.

He's contained by a single culture, a single political party, a single ethnicity, a single nationality. And the moment the people in the of God in the Old Testament tried to reduce him to a tribal deity, a God who existed uh primarily to defeat their enemies and validate their interests, the prophets would show up and correct him. >> Amos, see, we don't we don't want to boy, I would Amos told Israel that God was just as concerned with the nations surrounding them as he was them. >> Most people read Jonah's story and says they Jonah has four chapters. >> Most people stop reading after and stop preaching >> after the after chapter >> after he spit the >> That's why Jonah was mad because God had love for the Nvites for Nom. >> That's why he didn't want to go. >> That's why he didn't want to go.

He didn't want him to repent cuz he's like, "I can't believe you love my enemy." Wow. Omg. And just do your research on what the Assyrians, Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, right? What the Assyrians used to do to the Israelites. And you'll understand why Jonah didn't want to go.

And when Jonah preached, people actually listened and he got and they repented and he got mad. >> Now when I preach, I know most people not going to do what I say. Jonah actually preach and they did it. >> And he get mad. >> This man gets under the tree. >> He is so and I don't have time.

He should be a case study on how great spiritual gifting in no way is an indication of deep spiritual formation. >> This man is so unstable. Read the book. He get under a tree and say, "I want to die." >> You want to die? >> Wait, that's that's a lot.

Because they repented because God wouldn't let them die. You want to die. But you're that accurate in your prophecy, but you but at simultaneously you're underdeveloping your own soul and the saints that that's a whole that's that's a whole that's a completely different conversation. But Jonah, the the entire book of Ruth, see what kind of woman was Ruth?

Moabitete. >> Ruth got Boaz. Do y'all know the way they would be dragging Boaz online? Now y'all have See this? This is why we got to stop sanitizing scripture. This is why deep people drown. >> This is why deep people cuz it's sanitizing scriptures, right? Uh we believe you deep if you do it.

Um she's a Moabitete woman. Just look at the the history and the roots of Moab and where that came from. Like people would have been like, "Boaz, out of all >> the women you can get, >> you got her. >> They would have dragged Mo ass." Yeah, >> she's a Moabitete woman.

He literally becomes a kinsman redeemer. And then here comes Jesus. We don't want to talk about Jesus, right? Touching lepers. >> Uh now watch this. See, I'm I'm going to say this and then we're going to we're going to uh we're not going to be able to finish.

So T, just play that. That's this. This is it. We we just we just got to stop cuz this next one's going to take a minute or two. Listen listen to this stuff. >> Do you remember uh the Roman centurion? >> Yes. >> Who had a servant that's sick?

Right. >> Yes, sir. >> And uh Jesus said, "Okay, where? Give me the text me the location. Um put it in maps and we come into the house." The centurion says, "You don't even have to come to the house. Just send the word." Right? I'm a man under authority.

I under the way authority works. I speak and people obey. So you just speak. Listen. Listen now, doc. It's a Roman centurion. >> I got you. >> You got me? You following me? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. So, he's a military leader overseeing at least 100 Roman soldiers, which is century century.

Look at the front. Okay, don't miss this. >> Who was actually oppressing Israel? >> Romans. >> Rome. >> Roman occupation. >> It's Roman occupation. They were a part of the Roman. They were subjugated in the Roman Empire. So Jesus working a miracle for the Roman centurion is him working a miracle for the oppressor. >> Now you got tight that time.

You said they were tight. You you got tight. You got >> I'm feeling them tight. Getting tight. I'm feeling them. Yeah. Aha. That's the enemy. That is the enemy. Now, I'm not going to bother this, but this says a lot, I think, about discernment and Jesus's ability to recognize the difference between somebody who worked for. >> I love it.

Yeah, I love it. Yeah. >> Who wasn't like who they worked for? >> See the difference there? >> That's a big difference. >> It's a big difference. That's That's a different conversation, right? Because to assume everybody is that way is to do what we've been instructed not to do, and that's judge.

But even Jesus models for us that God even had love for a man who loved a servant enough to go to Jesus on his behalf. that Roman centurion could have been, I get another one. But he went to Jesus and Jesus is like, "Oh, this this this man's different."

So, you got the therapeutic God, you got the tribal god. Let's try to finish. I think we can do it. You got the the the the taskmaster God. Let's summarize this. This is the God who wants your work but not your relationship. He's the God of endless demand.

He's really a God that is personified and typified more in more in the imagery of Pharaoh, your taskmaster. Because Pharaoh is a picture of a theological distortion that many people have of God. Um because Pharaoh never reduced the the quota. He only increased the quota in terms of like with Israel, they had to make he increased their quota.

They had to make more bricks without straw. Do more with less. And this is what makes the invitation of Jesus so different. He looks at a group of religiously exhausted people in Matthew. They're crushed under the weight of an impossible religious expectation and he didn't hand them a new assignment.

He said, "Come to me." Because the taskmaster God produces people who know how to work for God but have never learned how to rest in him. So they good servants. They don't know how to be a son. That's one of the things I often say. I I a lot I do a lot with people who like have had some bad experiences like with pastors pastors and stuff like this.

And I'll say to them, I'm in a season just very uniquely direct right now. I just don't have the energy not to be that way. And it's uh he say you don't know how to be pastor. Your problem is you've been so abused. You don't even know how to be loved.

You've been used and you don't know what it is like to be with somebody who appreciate your gift but don't need it, who value it and say, "But that's not why you're here." And so many people don't know how to feel accepted and approved by God without being exhausted for God.

They don't know that he is just as pleased with my worship. Come on, Dudley. >> Come on, Dudley. >> My God. TZ, the work comes because I love him. The work comes because he loves me. I don't work to get him to love me. Did you hear what I just said?

Is that biblical? I'm in the book. Peter, do you love me? >> What'd he say, Reverend? >> Feed my sheep. >> Feed my sheep because you love me. >> Because you love me. >> It's love. >> It's an expression of love. >> It's an expression of love. >> If you love, >> yeah, >> this is one of the ways you love me. >> There's a taskmaster God.

And then finally, there's a temperamental God. This view of God sees uh his love just as a feeling that fluctuates. And the problem with this is it directly contradicts one of the most fundamental truths about God. The writer of Hebrews uses the word immutability. >> Immutable means come on doc. >> He doesn't. >> He does he doesn't change.

He doesn't change. >> He don't switch. >> Yes sir. He's not subject to mood. So the temperamental God is not a god of scripture. This is a projection of our own trauma. He's what happens when the unpredictability of human authority figures gets transferred onto God. So a parent whose mood shifts and a spiritual leader who's warm in public to the saints but cold in private to the staff or or o over time that unpredictability uh that you experienced in people gets projected upon God.

And so now you feel like God feels about you. How you doing? You You missed it. >> No. Yeah. >> You You missed it now. >> Yeah. >> You remember? >> Yeah. >> You remember we went in college and we had a we had a bad week. You would worship the same. >> You be in church.

You have tales. You had a weekend. You be in church. You like I can't lift your hand and be like, "Dr. today. >> At least you went a >> I took that son off. I like the centurion. Lord, up up in my room today. Meet me at the house today.

Do >> I ain't even going to play with you like that. Meet me in the dorm room today. God, I ain't going to play play with your preacher like that today. >> Yeah. Now, God, the Bible uses what's called anthropomorphic terms to kind of describe different aspects of of of God in terms of his his dealings with his people.

And it also uses like emotional language to describe a God who has made a conscious decision to to feel. And so, we are not saying that God doesn't have pleasure or displeasure. Of course, he has displeasure. We operate dysfunctionally. Any good parent would have displeasure. Uh, even God's wrath, Dr.

Bruce McCormick says, is an expression of God's love. >> Love hates what hurts what it loves. >> Love hates what hurts what it loves. So even wrath, the wrath of God is an expression of God's >> love. So, we're not saying that that doesn't exist. We're saying his love is not temperamental.

His feelings about my behavior should not be confused with the reality of his love. I am deeply, consistently, securely loved. and he is regularly anxiously awaiting me to recognize and rest in that love. It is only then that I can do what the writer of Hebrews encourages us to do to come boldly before the throne of grace.

I am loved. >> I'm loved. And pastor, you said something in even in the in the book of the beginning, Genesis. God went looking for Adam and Eve, not because they messed up, but because he loved them. >> Did y'all hear what he just said? Say it again, direct. >> He said, uh, it it's it's like even in Genesis, we see the fullness of God's love.

God. >> Adam and Eve were hiding because they thought God was mad. >> Yes. >> But God went looking for them. >> Yes. >> Not because he was mad at them. >> Yes. >> But his love made him chaser. >> Yeah. >> His love made him come looking for them to restore them. >> And I think when you think you got a temperamental God, we try to run from God. >> Oh yeah. >> When God comes running after us, the prodical son, the father start running.

He didn't let the son get to him. But because he loved his son, >> that's it. >> He ran, >> that's the book, >> to him. And I think sometimes we we be running from God. When God running >> running to us, >> he's chasing us not to punish us. >> He's chasing us.

We're running from him. >> That's right. >> We're running to hide. >> And he's >> he's chasing fix. >> Yeah. You say you think I'm coming to spank you. >> The spanking is inherent in your choice. >> Yeah. >> You understand? I think people miss that part. This God doesn't have to spank because sin is violating God's design.

So inherent in sin is the consequence, >> right? So even when you don't get caught, the consequence is the fear that you will. So practically you might not have that consequence but emotionally you got the consequence. So it's like so it's like no in it's like I'mma punish you for sticking your hand in fire.

No. When you stick your hand in fire inherent in the disobedience is the punishment. >> So he says you think I'm running to spank you. The consequence is already spanked you. >> I'm running to fix you. I'm I'm running to help you. I'm running to restore you. And um this is the only long-term motivator for holiness, love.

By my loving kindness have I drawn. You know, I saw a thing one time where a person they were on the on a different coast and they were uh I don't know how it just kind of came up in my feed or whatever was, hey, anybody look, anybody know of a church in this area?

I want to go to church in this area. And like I said, a completely different part of the country than where we are. And I anybody know a church in this area? I don't go to church in this area. You know, I don't want to just hear about the goodness of God.

I want to hear about the holiness of God. And I was like, you know, there is a degree of well-ended uh it's well intended. Well, you would say >> English well-intent >> because even the framing the the the framing of the language says, I think I understand the person's heart, but they don't understand they got some stuff jumbled up in their head.

Because what you're doing is you created a dichotomy that doesn't exist biblically. Not just the goodness of God, but the holiness of God. >> What are you what? >> You can't separate. >> You those they aren't polar opposites. >> They aren't poly. His holiness is what makes him good, right? >> He is pure, incapable of evil. the ultimate expression and embodiment of that which is safe and can be trusted.

His holiness is what makes him good. >> It's one of the reasons when Israel wanted a king in the Old Testament, God's like, "You don't want one. You think you want one. You don't You need to let me lead you >> cuz I'm not going to use you.

You need to let me." He says, "You get a king, he's going to tax you. He's going to draft your sons and send them to war. is going to break up your families. He's so there's this dichotomy he had between holiness and goodness. And I'm like, it's just not even factually accurate.

But there is there is this assumption that punishment is the best motivator for people's change and transformation. when it is the goodness of God that leads me to repentance. Consequence, Dudley. Consequence, listen to me, only produces temporary change because the consequence is only a motivator as long as you remember what it felt like.

You understand what I'm saying? It's only it's only after a while you forget what it felt like something else. So it's not the a it is not just the avoidance of pain now that becomes the motivator for change. It becomes the pursuit of something higher and greater. Which is why we say hey the king's way isn't just right.

It's better. >> Using the language in the New Testament of the book of Hebrews, it's better. Pursue this way cuz it's better. Love your enemies because it's better. I don't want to love my enemies because I think God's going to zap me. See, watch this. At some point, doc, we need to do a the we need to do something on the uh the theology of mercy because the Bible says he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy.

So, let's just be honest. There are some things you've done and you didn't do you mercy mercy interrupts the law of sewing and reaping. >> It doesn't remove the law, but it interrupts. It means that what you could harvest, you don't. >> It doesn't mean you don't harvest anything, but it means that what you could harvest, you don't.

And let's be honest, man. There are people that have done things that are less than what we did and it came out wor completely worse for them because God's like, "You don't know when the reign of mercy is going to show up. I I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy."

It's the goodness of God that leads you to repentance. You and I are both married. And of course, we don't want our wives to leave us. But if that is the only motivation for loving a wife as Christ loved the church, good luck with that. I don't even like I'm not happy with that.

Like am I going to be like, you know, let me do this so you don't leave. I do you like me? >> Do you like me? I don't want you to leave. So let me cook. I don't want you to leave. So let me hug you. I don't want you.

At some point you'd be like, "Well, listen, this is a lot." So our hope and prayer through this message is that you begin to ask yourself, "What god were you given?" And make sure that as you pursue peruse this list that the god you're actually given is a god that is the god of love, who's not a tyrant.

He's not he's not a taskmaster. He's not temperamental. Not his ministry can be therapeutic in nature, but he's not therapeutic. He is holy. Yes, he is righteous. He is consistent and he is faithful. And our prayer for us and for you is that our eyes will be open to that reality.

Man, we hope you we hope you were were blessed today and challenged. This is what we call conversational learning. Uh we believe it is consistent with the ministry of Jesus. It is one of the reasons I do this Bible study a number of different ways. It is sometimes it's me talking to a camera.

Uh sometimes it's me on a stage with people. Um sometimes we'll play a old sermon. Sometimes we have conversation like this because when you look at the teaching nature when you look at the nature of Jesus's teaching ministry, it's multifaceted, wasn't it? >> He would stand on a on a mount and do a sermon on the mount >> or he would sit like on a hillside and talk to people.

He would stand in a boat >> houses. >> Yep. Houses. So there are various delivery systems. And so we pray that you were blessed and stretched by this one. We want to encourage you, those of you who understand and believe in um the principle of sewing back into the field you're harvesting from.

There are ways to give that are coming on the screen. And so we want to encourage you um as you are stirred and led and motivated um to respond in generosity and value the thing that um is adding value to you and that we hope this teaching ministry is doing that.

Um we're grateful to God to steward um access and to be a trusted voice of spiritual nourishment for you. And uh we want to thank you for for your investment in that. Also um want to let you know we're going to continue to do our best to build to to build a community and to bring you teaching that is biblical truth that builds a bridge to real life.

We love you. We'll see you next time. Take care.